Serena Guthrie opens up on the way she managed the pressure of captaining the Vitality Roses on home soil and shares her Netball World Cup reflections with Sky Sports.
From July 12 to 21, the Netball World Cup put a standard for the sport tournament, a standard that eclipse and South Africa 2023 will endeavour to reach and enraptured us all.
The Vitality Roses’ build-up within this summer’s World Cup was a much-talked about one. The competition was eagerly anticipated and the strain around the shoulders of the squad was considerable following Quad Series performances and their Commonwealth Games triumph.
Guthrie was given the task of leading the 12-player squad and more than six weeks of England on from the competition’s decision, the participant is currently taking stock of those 10 days.
“It still feels like a small surreal experience, the World Cup, because of how amazing it was,” reflected Guthrie around July’s championship in Liverpool.
“To be able to stand on a podium in the conclusion of what was this extreme championship for us [was incredible], especially after losing Layla (Guscoth) and pretty much going for 75 per cent of the tournament with 11 players, then which took a huge toll on us. The way in which the team stuck together and got through that has been amazing.
“Then you’ve got the audiences that were just mad, we felt like rock stars for 2 weeks that was great! It had been an wonderful experience and it is still sinking into a whole great deal.”
Then-head trainer Tracey Neville announced as captain guthrie on May 23. At the moment, the way in which the player headed the Roses by example was commended by Neville.
“After she entered our programme in July she introduced a new level. She even brought a function that we didn’t have, she brought a leadership,” remarked Neville on squad-announcement moment.
“She educated off, off and around the court, and she led with her performance. She’s our programme forward, she talks out and sweats entire course.
“She was flabbergasted [once I informed her she had been ] and I think that the phone call to her was very emotional. Because it probably wasn’t something which she was anticipating, I got quite teary about it.
“With Serena, she likely underestimates herself over anybody else. In our eyes she’s a world-class player. She’s a beautiful person and so valuable as a team member”
Even the Netball World Cup itself saw hardship is handled by the house side, together with the tournament-ending injury, the devastation of a loss of Layla Guscoth cut deep.
Before the tournament the Roses had been clear about their goal – being in the World Cup closing in order to really have a prospect of taking glory – and failing to perform that hurt them tremendously.
But, Guthrie as the side as a whole, revealed fortitude and mental resilience to return and dominate South Africa on the last day to take home bronze.
“It was possibly the most intense netball experience that I’ve had, but in a really positive way,” Guthrie said.
“I asked myself quite a few questions heading into the tournament in terms of how I was going to attempt to manage everything and what my approach was likely to be. It’s fair to say I wished to try and stay true to Serena as I might be and simply have a good deal of fun along the way.
“It had been making sure I was really comfortable in who I was as a individual and that definitely helped me direct through this kind of intense experience. It was a great; it turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience also.”
The tournament’s 15th edition, the 2019 Netball World Cup, was hailed as an unbelievable showcase for the sport and one which continued to put netball in England, possibly around the map and across the globe.
Us enraptured using their play on also the support and court they received in their ardent fans.
The eventual champions New Zealand amazed with their bounce and, general, the 10 days Guthrie believes has further improved the foundations of the sport .
“I think that we needed a competition like that to demonstrate the UK and England exactly what netball is about,” she said.
“It was not just about England Netball that tournament, it was about showcasing netball along with also the very best athletes on the planet, coming together and enjoying their kind of netball into the best of their ability.
“I believe everyone did that and it felt like a massive celebration of game and of women in sport also.
“We have been moving slowly and gradually advancing in terms of the sport over the last few years but I believe the World Cup will help hasten the evolution of netball and the evolution of this Superleague as well.
“The leagues today have to acquire better so we could have more women training and experiencing what we did in the World Cup.”
For Guthrie the time since the World Cup was action-packed. She has settled back in the home and has flown head into a wealth of unique things when it comes to her private life.
“It has been enjoyable. To come back from an experience at the World Cup into Bob [Guthrie ] opening up his cafe and also attempting to renovate a house from top to bottom, has been intriguing!
“However, I do not really know life any other way than in a thousand miles an hourso it didn’t feel too much from your home! It has been a very fun summertime.”
Netball will return to Sky Sports together with the Fast5 All Stars Championship and we are going to continue to hear from players seeing their paths ahead and what that may entail, as summer begins to become fall.
For the time being, the World Cup’s memories remain firmly within our minds and Guthrie will still continue to let such a tournament that is special sink in.
Netball is back in your displays in October with all the Fast5 All Stars Championship. We will cover all the off-season’s turns and twists as their squads are shaped by the Vitality Netball Superleague teams for the 2020 season, which you may follow Sky Sports.
